Toy straw with an internal moving figure

ABSTRACT

A TOY IN THE FORM OF A DRINKING STRAW. THE STRAW HAS A TRANSPARENT CHAMBER NEAR ITS MIDPOINT AND A SHAPED SO THE CHAMBER IS CLEARLY VISIBLE TO THE USER. WITHIN THE CHAMBER IS A MOVABLE OBJECT WHICH POPS UP AND FALLS WITH THE FLOW OF FLUID THROUGH THE THE STRAW. THE OBJECT MAY BE A FAMILIAR CARTOON CHARACTER, A HUMOROUS SUBJECT, ETC. PART OF THE CHAMBER MAY BE OPAQUE SO THE OBJECT REMAINS HIDDEN UNTIL IT SUDDENLY APPEARS. THE OBJECT MAY ALSO BE CAUSED TO SPIN. THE TOY MAY BE OPENED FOR CLEANING, AND MAY BE USED WITH SEPARATE DISPOSABLE STRAW.   D R A W I N G

United States Patent 1 [111 3,834,068 Fabricant 145] Sept. 10, 1974 TOY STRAW WITH AN INTERNAL MOVING FIGURE Primary Examiner-Louis G. Mancene Assistant Examiner.l. Q. Lever, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A toy in the form of a drinking straw. The straw has a transparent chamber near its midpoint and is shaped so the chamber is clearly visible to the user. Within the chamber is a movable object which pops up and falls with the flow of fluid through the the straw. The object may be a familiar cartoon character, a humorous subject, etc. Part of the chamber may be opaque so the object remains hidden until it suddenly appears. The object may also be cuased to spin. The toy may be opened for cleaning, and may be used with separate disposable straws.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My invention relates to toys and in particular to straws through which people will drink milk and other beverages.

The purpose of my invention is to provide an amusing toy, and also to provide a device that will create a diversion to make fluid intake more pleasurable for those children who do not like milk, juice, etc.

The unique feature of this invention is the utilization of several characteristic properties of a fluid to induce an amusing movement of an object constrained within the body of the toy. The object, which may be a cartoon character, is made to pop up and down whenever the fluid flow commences and ceases. The object can also be made to spin. The fluid properties that cause this motion will generally apply whether the fluid is a liquid, suc as milk, or water, or a gas, such as air.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To obtain a complete understanding of this toy in its various forms, I offer the following detailed description with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a child sucking fluid through a straw.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of another straw with fluid being sucked through it.

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of another straw without fluid flow.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a straw with a spinable object enclosed.

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of a straw with a floating movable object.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a child 1 sucking fluid 2 from a glass 3 with the aid of the toy straw. The toy comprises a straw with a mouth end 4, a glass end 5, and an enlargement or chamber 6 located between the mouth end and the glass end, and a movable object 7 located within the body of the straw. The main portion of the movable object 7 is within the chamber. It has a projection 8 which extends into the glass end of the straw. The projection is a close fit in the narrow glass end, sliding freely, but with a small clearance. Because of this fit, the movable object is limited to motion in the axial direction of the projection. The movable object is shown in its poppedup position, as it would be when fluid is flowing through the straw. When the flow ceases, the movable object falls and comes to rest at the bottom of the chamber.

The toy should be transparent so the user can see the movement of the fluid and the object. Plastics are a likely choice of materials. The projection may be of the same material as the movable object, but if it is made transparent, the operation of the toy will be disguised and the effect will be more startling.

There are several fluid forces acting on the movable object that cause it to rise when the fluid flows. There is the bouyant force acting on that part of the movable object which is submerged in the fluid. There is the pressure of the fluid acting on the lower surface of the movable object. There is the force exerted by virtue of fluid friction, where the fluid flowing past the projection of the movable object drags the projection in the direction of flow. The latter force is probably the most significant The toy will work in an inverted position, where the projection is effectively in the mouth end of the straw, and the fluid friction pulls the movable object upwards. If the movable object is light-weight, the toy will work using air as the fluid.

In the examples given, the toy is generally described in its application as a straw for fluid. A whole generation of amusing toys is possible where air is the medium, and the toy must be considered accordingly. To do this, it is necessary only to define the glass end 5 of the straw as the air end. As used herein, these terms may be considered interchangable.

When the toy is used with an opaque fluid, such as milk, it is possible that some of the fluid will rise high enough to obscure part of the amusing portion of the movable object. This undesirable flow may be prevented by incorporation of a baffle 9. The baffle is located at the base of the amusing portion of the movable object. It fills most of the cross-section of the chamber, leaving only enough clearance for easy movement.

Access to the chamber for manufacturing and cleaning purposes may be provided by having an opening 10 in the chamber. The opening may be sealed by a removable sealing device 11, such as a plug, cap, etc. The location of the opening and the sealing means are not critical.

The amusing object in the straw may take any form. It may, for example, be a cartoon character. A variation of this could have a representation of a cartoon character, where the movable object is the head of the character, and where the head pops off the body when the straw is used. This would be ideal for air operation of the toy. A more elaborate toy could have a representation of the earth at the bottom of the straw, a representation of the moon at the top of the straw, and a cartoon character sitting astride a rocket as the movable object. The fluid flow would then send the rocket to the moon. Many combinations are possible wherein the chamber and the movable object have coordinated representations of amusing objects In present configuration if the projection 8 and the glass end of the straw 5 are round, the movable object is free to rotate under the random forces of the fluid. The movable object, however, may have a preferred orientation. For example, if it is a cartoon character, it may be desirable to have it face forward with only slight excursions to either side. This may be accomplished with the aid of a keying means. The movable object would be effectively keyed if both the projection and the straw end where out of round. They could be eliptical, multisided, etc. The movable object could rotate only to the point of interference. They could be designed for large or small excursions to the side. A similar effect would be reached if the straw end remainded round itself, but had a restrictive cap at its top end. It is also possible to use keys and keyways, and to use flatened movable objects within flatened chambers.

FIG. 2 shows another version of the toy with a differently shaped chamber 12. Within the chamber is a movable object 13, shown in its popped-up position. The lower part 14 of the chamber is opaque. When the object falls back to its rest position, it will be hidden from sight. This lends new novelty and an element of surprise when the figure suddenly appears.

A short tapered appurtenance 15, of decreasing di ameter, protrudes from the chamberv A standard discard-able paper or plastic straw 16 is fitted over the appurtenance to complete the straw. reusable, washable straws may also be used. Various coupling means may be used to separably connect one or both straw ends to the chamber.

FIG. 3 shows a straw in which the chamber comprises a lower section 17, which is in the form of the body of a familiar personality or cartoon type character, and an upper section 18, which is a transparent cover. The head is hidden at the bottom of the chamber. When fluid is sucked through the straw, the head pops up and becomes visible in the upper section of the chamber, apparently on the shoulders of the body. The upper and lower sections of the straw may be separably connected. This toy is also ideal for air operation. The glass end or air end 19, and the mouth end 20 of the straw may be located to conform to the design of the toy.

FIG. 4 shows a variation of the toy wherein the movable object 21 will spin as well as pop up. This is accomplished by shaping the base of the movable object and/or the projection so the flow of the fluid exerts a turning moment on the movable object, about the axis of the projection. Suitable shapes include spiral fluting, as indicated on the projection 22, or vaning, etc.

Constraining means may be provided to limit the axial movement of the movable object. It may be permitted to pop up and spin, or to spin only. A simple projection 23 extending from the top of the movable object to the top of the chamber will provide sufficient axial restraint, without introducing unnecessary friction.

The visible surface of the movable object may be decorated with amusing illustrations or decorations appropriate to its rotation.

FIG. shows a toy comprising a straw with a glass end 24, a mouth end 25, and an enlargement or chamber 26 located between the glass end and the mouth end, and a movable object 27 located within the body of the straw. The fluid 28, which is sucked in through the glass end, tends to accumulate within the chamber, in response to a residual vacuum, between breaths taken by the the user. The movable object must be light-weight so that it float on the fluid. The fluid level will rise and fall with the cycle of the sucking action, and the movable object will accordingly be popping up and down.

Although I have described my invention with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of exaple and that various changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangements of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A toy, of the nature of a straw, comprising a straw with a mouth end, a glass end, an enlarged section forming a chamber between said mouth end and said glass end, said chamber being sealed from the atmosphere except where is communicates with said mouth end and said glass end, and said chamber being formed at least in part of transparent material,and a movable object located within said chamber and extending a projection into said glass end, said projection sliding freely within said glass end, with clearance between said projection and said glass end along the entire length of said projection, wherein the flow of fluid through said glass end acts upon said projection, part of which is continuously submerged in said flowing fluid, causing said projection and said movable object to move.

2. A toy, according to claim 1 wherein said movable object moves in the axial direction of said projection.

3. A toy, according to claim 1, wherein said movable object rotates about the axis of said projection.

4. A toy, according to claim 1, wherein said chamber has an opening sealed by removable sealing means.

5. A toy, according to claim 1, wherein coupling means are provided to separably connect said chamber to a said straw end section.

6. A toy, according to claim 1, wherein said chamber and said movable object have coordinated representations of amusing subjects.

7. A toy, according to claim 1, wherein said movable object is shielded from an obscuring flow of fluid by a baffle at the base of the amusing portion.

8. A toy, according to claim I, wherein keying means are provided to limit the rotation of said movable object.

9. A toy of the nature of a straw, comprising a narrow mouth end, a narrow air end, an enlarged section forming a chamber between said mouth end and said air end, said chamber being sealed from the atmosphere except where is communicates with said mouth end and said air end, and said chamber being formed at least in part of transparent material, and a movable object located within said chamber and extending a projection into a said end, said projection sliding freely within said end, with clearance between said projection and said end along the entire length of said projection, wherein the flow of air through said toy and past said projection causes said movable object to move. 

